Debate: Is Karim Benzema The Right Signing For Real Madrid?

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Karim Benzema (Lyon)

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And you thought he was moving to Old Trafford. Manchester United had been linked with Karim Benzema for ever, the player himself appeared to be inclined towards playing for the former European champions, Lyon threw hints that a really substantial offer would force them to sell their most prized asset and Benzema's agent admitted that his client could leave for United sooner rather than later.

But like Zinedine Zidane's sly drop of the shoulders and then the lightning movement the other way, Karim Benzema now seems to be headed towards Madrid. Both Real Madrid and Olympique Lyonnais have confirmed that a €35 million deal has been struck between them and the 21-year-old himself appears to have agreed to the move. Benzema had often been quoted saying how he could like to play in Spain but just when you thought that United would be able to lay their hands on who is, or rather was, perhaps the brightest star in French football, Madrid come and prise away the player. Just like that. Bang!

Karim Benzema might not have been Florentino Perez's first choice striker to sign in the summer- David Villa was- but he is certainly going to be Madrid's first choice and main striker. At 21 Benzema has already established himself as a regular for the French national side and was Lyon's best player last season, his goals and spirit upfront dragging a lacklustre Lyon side to a top three finish in Ligue 1. Benzema has been in top form for the last two seasons and has been so vital upfront that there are talks of how Lyon would struggle from now on without him. Even with the cash flowing in because of his sell-out.

Former Liverpool and Lyon coach Gerard Houllier once described Benzema as "a mix between Ronaldo for his sense of where the goal is and Zidane for his control of the ball". While it may sound a bit hyped up over a striker who has yet to be tested at the highest level (read the Premier League or La Liga), one who has followed Benzema closely would know the truth in Houllier’s words.

A product of the Lyon youth academy, Benzema is a tremendously fast footballer who is equally efficient on both feet. He can shoot with either of his foot, has great dribbling skills that sees him get past the opposition backline with ruthless elegance and can score from virtually any position, his ability to take advantage of even half-chances making him a stand-out player among 21-year-olds. 38 goals over two seasons in the French league have established Benzema's credentials as a great goalscorer and 9 goals and two assists in the Champions League in two years show his ability to master Europe too. The Frenchman’s 1.83m stature also gives Madrid an aerial advantage which they have lacked in the absence of Ruud van Nistelrooy.

But at 21 Benzema is no finished article and although he does have the potential to lead a Madrid attackline that would also see Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo among other Galacticos go on the rampaging forays, it wouldn’t be wrong to suggest that the Lyon-born player would take some time to settle at the Bernabeu; and time is something that the Madrid fans are not very keen to ‘waste’. Benzema has not done much with the French national side either, although perhaps this is more symptomatic of the way the French national side has been since the end of the 2006 World Cup finals.

Then of course, there's the small matter of him not being Perez's first choice striker. It is more than just a coincidence that the Benzema deal was struck just days after it was confirmed that Valencia were not eager to sell David Villa (to Madrid at least); if a deal had been struck with Valencia, then Perez wouldn’t have gone far with his negotiations over Benzema. Signing Villa would have been a guaranteed success as the world's best striker would not have taken any time to settle in at the Bernabeu since he has played in Spain all his life. Signing Benzema gives the ‘whether-he-will-succeed-or-not' headache and given that the player in question is still in his formative stage, this headache cannot be cured by a pill.

But much will depend on the formation in which coach Manuel Pellegrini plays. Benzema is used to playing in a 4-3-3 system where he is the central striker and thrived in the system under Alain Perrin in his breakthrough season of 2007-2008. With Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain alongside him in a three-prong attack, tactically Benzema would have no problem settling in as he would be playing in a central position flanked by the Portuguese and the Argentine. But Madrid coach Manuel Pellegrini favours a 4-4-2 formation and it would be interesting to see how Benzema compliments either Higuain or Ruud van Nistelrooy in a two-prong attack, assuming the Dutchman is still with Madrid next season.

Subhankar Mondal